Steamboat briefs: Treasurer’s Office reminds about property taxes due

The Routt County Treasurer’s Office would like to remind readers that the second-half payment of property taxes is due Monday, when the Routt County Treasurer’s Office, 522 Lincoln Ave., will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mailed checks must be postmarked by Monday and can be sent to P.O. Box 770907, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477.

Property owners also can also access their accounts at www.co.routt.co.us.

Under the “Your Government” menu, select “Departments,” and “Treasurer” and click on “Property Tax Search.” Then agree with the statement and enter your account number, address, name or parcel number.

For more information, call 970-870-5555.

Coed beach volleyball open to high schoolers

A high school coed recreational beach volleyball league will play Tuesday evenings from June 18 to July 16 at the Howelsen Beach volleyball courts.

The season includes four weeks of regular-season games and one tournament week with a five-versus-five format. The league champions will receive T-shirts and tournament champions will receive Chamber Bucks.

The cost is $40 per team with a maximum of eight players. The registration deadline is 5:30 p.m. Monday. Participants must sign a release form. Register at www.steamboatsprings.net/teen or call 970-879-4300 for more information.

Soroco FFA chapter travels to convention in Sterling

The Soroco FFA chapter recently traveled to the state convention on the Northeastern Junior College campus in Sterling, according to a news release.

The convention included celebrating achievements and participating in leadership workshops. Soroco was honored during the convention with the Most Improved Chapter Award, which reflects its achievements during the past year. Three of Soroco’s members received proficiency awards and each were state winners in their proficiency award areas. Jaelyn Whaley also placed in the silver category for prepared public speaking, according to the release.

LiveWell program to help families with healthy eating

LiveWell Northwest Colorado is helping families be healthy by working to improve eating habits and to be more physically active through the “Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0” program. The program sets the goal each day of eating five or more fruits and vegetables, watching two or fewer hours of TV, getting an hour or more of physical activity and drinking zero sugary drinks. For more information about the program, visit www.nwcovna.org/livewell.php or call LiveWell Northwest Colorado Community Coordinator Barb Parnell at 970-819-4110.

Unattended vehicles idling are against Colorado law

As part of the anti-idling education campaign Spare the Air, the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council would like to remind drivers that leaving an unattended vehicle idling is illegal under Colorado law. A state law approved in 2011 also limits idling of diesel engine vehicles of more than 14,000 pounds to 5 minutes per hour.

Join the Spare the Air initiative to save money, engine wear and air emissions by limiting unnecessary idling to 30 seconds. According to the Consumer Energy Center, idling is not an effective way to warm up a car engine. On winter days, the best way to warm an engine is to drive after idling no more than 30 seconds.

Carpool matching service available for residents

Residents of Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties have access to a free, online carpool matching service sponsored by Yampa Valley Data Partners, according to a news release.

Organizers hope the website, www.carpoolworld.com/northwestcolorado, will be a resource to help Northwest Colorado residents save on transportation costs. The project was created as part of the Northwest Colorado Energy Education Plan, which was funded by a grant from the Colorado Energy Office.

Job search tools available to Routt County veterans

As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs ongoing implementation of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, the VA has developed a comprehensive toolkit for veterans and employers about the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program and the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. The act expands education and training opportunities for veterans and provides tax credits for employers who hire veterans with service-related disabilities. Find more information about the programs and application procedures at www.benefits

.va.gov/VOW or call the VA National Call Center at 1-800-827-1000. Applications are due by Sept. 30.

A new website also has been designed to help military veterans find jobs in the transportation industry. According to a news release, the site allows former members of the armed forces to enter their specific military work experience and see how it translates to civilian jobs. Learn more by visiting www.dot.gov/veteranstransportationcareers.